1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a document processing system in which a print image is stored into a memory and can be handled as output data.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, owing to the development of the techniques of image processing using a computer, a document can be formed, edited, and arranged by a computer, an image such as character data, figure data, image data, or the like included in the document is stored into a memory, and a printer output can be obtained from a bit image. Such a system has data of a specific image pattern (hereinafter, referred to as font data) of each character and its set width. A system called a WYS-WYG (What You See Is What You Get) which in editing can execute operations while displaying on a CRT the result of the same form (indicative of the electronic form in the present invention) as that upon printing, is main-stream. Upon printing, the font data is stored in the memory on the basis of the result of the form. On the other hand, a figure is drawn and image data is stored at a designated position on the basis of figure data (vector information). The image data is output by a printer which can execute a digital control based on the bit image in the memory.
The above system has font data, a form logic, an image memory printer, and the like in the system and can solely execute total document processes. In recent years, such a system is called a DTP (desk top publishing system) and has been highlighted.
However, the performance of the above DTP shown as a conventional example is inferior to that of a large-scale system having a computer-aided phototypographic composing machine or the like.
The following reasons are considered as causes.
First, there is a difference between resolutions of final outputs. The resolution of the DTP is set to about 400 dpi and that of the large-scale system is set to a value of 1200 to 2400 dpi or more. A bit image of 400 dpi of the A4 size requires 2 Mbytes even in the case where the bit image is constructed by binary data. To raise the resolution of 1200 dpi, 18 Mbytes, nine times as much as 2 Mbytes, are needed. Such a large capacity results in high costs of the memory and, as the quantity of data which is handled by the CPU used in the existing DTP, is a larger burden. In addition, local installation of such a printer is expensive.
Second, there is a difference between the kinds of font data. In the DTP, a few kinds, e.g., Ming-style type, Gothic type, and the like are provided. The large-scale system has a large number of various font data.
Therefore, the data which results from the form of the DTP is converted into data of the input form for the large-scale system and is output. On the large-scale system side, substantially the same form and style are derived, while an output of a high resolution is obtained by using a large number of various font data. However, it is difficult for the DTP to obtain substantially the same style as that of the result which was locally output because of differences between the form logics or between the font data. There is a drawback that editing or checking of work on the large-scale system side for the above adjustment is inevitable.
In consideration of the above points, it is an object of the present invention to provide a document processing system in which by providing a method whereby a bit image is stored into a memory on the DTP side in a manner similar to the case of the local printing and is converted into data for image data storage of an external printing system and is output to the external printing system, output of substantially the same style as that of the local print result on the DTP side can be obtained by the external printing system.
In consideration of the above points, another object of the invention is to provide a document processing system in which by providing a method whereby a bit image is converted into an image of the size which is larger than an actual size and is stored into a memory and is supported in a manner such that the bit image is converted into data for image storage of an external printing system and is output with the original size, output of a high resolution and substantially the same style as that of the local print result on the DTP side can be obtained by the external printing system.
In consideration of the above points, still another object of the invention is to provide a document processing system comprising: forming means for forming a document; converting means for converting the document data formed by the forming means, into data of bit map style; and controlling means for controlling whether the conversion by the converting means is executed in accordance with the size based on the document data or not in the case where the data of the bit map style which is converted by the converting means is made correspond to the data format of a page description language.
An embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings.
In the diagram, reference numeral 1 denotes a CRT display which is used on the basis of the rater scanning type; 2 indicates a video RAM (VRAM) to store display pattern information of one picture plane; 3 a display controller to control the writing operation of the pattern information into the VRAM 2 and the reading operation to the CRT; 5 a main memory having areas to store control programs and document data; and 4 a micro-processor (MPU) to execute main control of the system. A keyboard 8 to execute an inputting operation of character data and the like and other processes and a pointing device 9 for performing the designation of a position on the CRT and the like and executing an inputting editing process on figure data and the like, are connected to the MPU 4. Reference numeral 6 denotes a hard disc into which document files and character fonts are stored; 10 indicates a printer to output the document formed; and 11 a floppy disc to execute the storage and the like of document files or the like. Each of the above blocks is connected by an I/O bus.
A document processing application program is constructed in the system and various document processing functions are provided. The above blocks are called DTP machines and have been described in detail in Japanese Patent Application No. 62-289142 (laid open as kokai 1-30256) and the like. In the above system, in the case of obtaining a local output by using the printer 10, and the font data, figure data, image data, and the like are stored as a bit image into the main memory 5 and the data in the main memory is output to the printer. The printer 10 prints for each point in the image either a black dot or a blank dot onto the paper surface in accordance with whether a bit image of “1” or “0” is output from the main memory and outputs an image.
In the case of outputting the same document to an external printing system, processes are executed in the following manner. The “external printing system” is an output apparatus for a phototypographic composing machine of high resolution or the like. For instance, such apparatuses are commercially available under trade names such as “Varityper”, “Compugraphic”, “Linotype”, and the like. Those apparatuses correspond to, for example, a page description language (hereinafter “P D L ”) such as a PostScript or the like. Another output apparatus such as the PC-PR602PS (made by Nippon Electronic Co., Ltd.) or the like can be also used. It is now assumed that the system has a data input format as shown in FIG. 2. Although the actual system receives a greater number of commands, it is assumed that the system has the data format as shown in
To allow the external printing system to output document data as shown in
It is now assumed that the external printing system can receive the data of
Due to this, the external printing system can output the data of
The DTP has the following second output method different from the first output method to the external printing system as mentioned above. The user can select either one of the first and second output methods.
That is, the document data of
[Flowchart]
The outputting operation by the MPU 4 based on the program stored in the main memory 5 in
In step S1, if it is determined that the external printing system is not used, step S3 follows and the bit map data corresponding to the document data is stored into the main memory 5 and is output to the printer 10.
On the other hand, it if is determined that the external printing system is used (S1) and the data is output by using the output method 1 (S2), the processing routine advances to step S5 and the data shown in
As described above, there is an effect that quite the same style as that in the case of the local printing mode can be obtained from the external printing system in accordance with the request of the user by constructing the system in such manner that there is provided means for storing the print image of a document including, for instance, characters, figures, images, and the like in the case of outputting data to the printing system and for converting the print image into the image of the input method of the image data of the printing system as if the whole image was image data as output data and for outputting and that such means can be selected in the case of outputting data to the printing system.
Or, according to the invention, by directly making the document data correspond to the PDL regarding the output apparatus, the document data can be easily output to the external output apparatus connected to the document processing system.
[Another embodiment, for the case of the second method and the variable magnification output]
On the other hand, in the case where the resolution of the external printing system is higher than the resolution of the self system by, for instance, two or three times when the bit image is stored into the main memory 5, by converting the bit image into an image which is two or three times as large as the original image and storing, an output of the higher resolution can be obtained. That is, even if the image stored in the main memory 5 as mentioned above is output by the external printing system of a high resolution with the equal magnification size, the logical resolution is unchanged and is equal to 400 dpi. However, for instance, after all of the coordinate values, line width, character size, and the like shown in
The outputting operation by the MPU 4 based on the program stored in the main memory 5 in
In S1, if it is determined that the external printing system is not to be used, step S3 follows and the bit map data corresponding to the document data is stored into the main memory 5 and is output to the printer 10.
On the other hand, if it is determined that the external printing system is to be used (S1) and the data is to be output by the output method 1 (S2), step S5 follows and the data shown in
As described above, there is an effect that a style which is substantially the same as that in the case of the local printing character can be obtained from the external printing system in accordance with a request of the user by providing means for storing a print image of a document including, for instance, characters, figures, images, and the like in the case of outputting data to the printing, system and for converting the print image into the input style of the image data of the printing system and outputting as if the whole image were image data as output data and by enabling such means to be selected.
Or, according to the invention, by directly making the document data correspond to the page describing language regarding the output apparatus, the document data can be easily output to the external output apparatus connected to the document processing system.
Since it is possible to instruct the apparatus that the print image is to be enlarged and stored and converted into image of the image data input style of the printing system and the print image is output with the original size, the output of a high resolution and the same style can be obtained.
As described above, it is possible to provide a document processing system comprising: forming means for forming a document; converting means for converting the document data formed by the forming means into the data of the bit map style; and controlling means for controlling whether the conversion by the converting means is executed in accordance with the size based on the document data or not in the case of making the data of the bit map style which is converted by the converting means correspond to the data format of a PDL.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1-182026 | Jul 1989 | JP | national |
This application is a a reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,637, which issued from application Ser. No. 08/334,000, filed Nov. 2, 1994, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/971,679, filed Nov. 4, 1992, now abandoned, which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/550,568, filed Jul. 10, 1990, now abandoned.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4648047 | Berkland et al. | Mar 1987 | A |
4843405 | Morikawa et al. | Jun 1989 | A |
4866667 | Shimada | Sep 1989 | A |
4885717 | Beck et al. | Dec 1989 | A |
4920571 | Abe et al. | Apr 1990 | A |
4963898 | Kadowaki et al. | Oct 1990 | A |
4991114 | Kawamura et al. | Feb 1991 | A |
5010513 | Ueda | Apr 1991 | A |
5031115 | Hayashi | Jul 1991 | A |
5075874 | Steeves et al. | Dec 1991 | A |
5168292 | Kadowaki et al. | Dec 1992 | A |
5182650 | Inoue et al. | Jan 1993 | A |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
62-221546 | Sep 1987 | JP |
62-255153 | Nov 1987 | JP |
63-67682 | Mar 1988 | JP |
63-112164 | May 1988 | JP |
63-276965 | Nov 1988 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 07971679 | Nov 1992 | US |
Child | 08334000 | US | |
Parent | 07550568 | Jul 1990 | US |
Child | 07971679 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 08334000 | Nov 1994 | US |
Child | 09736178 | US |